Other views: Border battle shows importance of economic development

- THE INDEX-JOURNAL OF GREENWOOD - THE POST AND COURIER OF CHARLESTON

Sunday

Mar 31, 2013 at 12:19 AM

North and South Carolina have generally been cordial neighbors.

We've had our spats, most recently about our northern neighbor's efforts to take some of our state's water supply. It has been a war waged in a fairly civil manner, however, through the court system with our attorney general leading the charge.

All this could change now, given the fact advanced technology has led to the border between our two states being more clearly defined, as detailed in an Associated Press story. A few feet here, a few feet there and suddenly some proud Palmetto State property owners are finding themselves labeled Tar Heels.

It turns out 90 pieces of property were affected one way or the other when the new survey, conducted about 200 years after the last one, was conducted. The AP reported the shift occurred along a stretch from north of the Greenville-Spartanburg region to Lancaster County, just below Charlotte. ...

This seemingly minor adjustment of the border has a far reaching impact on both states. There's the economic impact for people like Lewis Efird, whose company operates the gas station-fireworks store.

Students might find themselves not just in a new school district, but rather in an entirely new state's school system. And there's the matter of property taxes. With states, counties and towns facing strapped budgets, that is sure to cause a stir.

Taxes, utilities, differing laws and regulations, school attendance zones are the biggest issues facing those affected. Both states' attorneys general offices are trying to work things out, they say, to be as painless as possible.

We can only hope people take this situation well. Some might slap North and South Carolina license plates on their cars, just for fun. Some might cover the back windows of their cars and SUVs with black-and-white oval stickers signaling an allegiance to both Carolinas.

Let's just hope this doesn't lead to another major battle between the North and South. This one, of course, would be on a smaller scale and would be a battle between two states that were once one, and that were once allies in a larger civil war.

Please, folks. Keep it civil.

The hard-core party faithful might approve of legislation to require party registration in primary elections, since eliminating open primaries could strengthen their influence over the outcome. But it would remove a moderating influence that South Carolina needs as it elects its leaders.

A House bill, sponsored by a Greenville Republican, to open primaries only to registered party members deserves to be rejected.

The influence of independent voters brings a broader view to the polls. As such, it shifts the focus of candidates who are seeking votes in the primary process. They have to broaden their appeal to a wider group of voters. They can't as easily pitch their candidacies solely on ideological grounds.

Public financing can be justified only for primary elections open to all South Carolinians who are qualified to vote. And having primaries under the authority of state and local election commissions is needed to ensure a higher level of integrity than elections conducted by the parties. The operation of primaries by election commissions also ensures that they can be held in every county throughout the state.

That's important to maintaining a healthy two-party system.

Sure, it rankles supporters of a particular candidate who believe, rightly or wrongly, that their candidate has suffered as a result of crossover voting. That possibility was most recently discussed prior to the recent presidential preference primary. ...

The fear that Democrats would skew the process clearly was unwarranted in that instance.

Closing primaries and requiring party registration to vote in them isn't worth leaving the large percentage of independent voters out of the process. Their involvement in the electoral system is beneficial to South Carolina, both in primary and general elections.

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